Being predominantly created and produced in Japan, anime and manga tend to focus on Japanese characters and narratives. However, some of the most interesting anime stories are those that turn their eyes to the international stage and other countries, such as the United States of America.
Being one of the most well-known countries on earth, America has a long-running reputation that varies depending on the country observing them. So, the Japanese perspective on it is often reflected in the American characters portrayed in anime. Often blonde, brash and outspoken, there are tons of Americans in anime who are quite hard to forget.
7 Pony Tsunotori – My Hero Academia
A common gag with foreign-born characters in anime is their accents. My Hero Academia dips into this gag with Pony, an American exchange student in UA’s class 1B. Not only is her accent very strong, but she’s often tricked into saying vulgar or violent Japanese phrases by her classmate, Monoma.
Pony is far from the oldest character to use this gag, but thanks to MHA’s popularity and her memorable efforts against class 1A at the start of Season 5, she’s definitely now well-known to many anime fans.
6 Ray Penber – Death Note
This spot is a toss-up between Ray and his wife Naomi Misora, who are both FBI agents attempting to discover the identity of Kira (Light Yagami). While his wife lasts longer in the story, her revenge plot against Light ends up being cut embarrassingly short.
Ray is yet another investigator who ends up being soundly outsmarted by Light, as he is not only tricked into revealing his identity but also into killing several other FBI agents as well. So, his memorability comes less from his own character, but from being another of Light’s victims, and the unfortunate soul that helps Light get the FBI off his trail.
5 Barnaby Brooks Jr. – Tiger And Bunny
In a world where My Hero Academia and The Boys are big hits, Tiger and Bunny takes up a comfortable space of respectable, yet mild popularity. It’s got many of the trappings of both series and takes the superhero world to a dystopian extreme due to heroic acts being seen as commodities and points for a popularity contest. In this world heroes even walk around with company logos emblazoned on their suits.
Barnaby (aka Bunny) is a rare hero in this landscape who doesn’t hide his identity. His power "hundred power," which he shares with co-protagonist Wild Tiger, allows him advanced physicality for five minutes, and paired with his eye for strategy has helped him rise to the top of the hero world.
4 Bandit Keith – Yu-Gi-Oh!
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
While characters like Pony show off their Americaness through their manner of speaking, the Bandit Kieths of the anime world are all about aesthetics. Kieth works off the stereotype of Americans as flashy and arrogant, always wearing a bandana of the US flag and a pair of sunglasses.
He plays an antagonistic role in the original Yu-Gi-Oh story, seeking to take revenge against Maximillion Pegasus, who embarrassed him in a previous tournament. Kieth will use any tactic to achieve his goals, including cheating and even brandishing firearms. He is a good dueller, as evidenced by his tournament performances, but lets his obsession with winning and revenge get the best of him.
3 Ash Lynx – Banana Fish
Banana Fish is a crime manga first released in the 80s by Akimi Yoshida. The story centers primarily around Ash Lynx and his journey to become a powerful crime boss and take revenge on his adoptive father and abuser, Dino Golzine.
Due to the manga’s success and a recent anime adaptation, Banana Fish has a decently sized fanbase. Ash himself is a character who has suffered almost as much as Berserk’s Guts, yet like him, retains such charisma and genuine care that he is a natural leader and someone his allies put their trust in.
2 Eda – Black Lagoon
There are few things more American than the CIA. A lot of crime stories, even when mainly set abroad, will feature run-ins with the organization, and Black Lagoon does the same. Within the story, the main point of contact between BL’s main cast and the CIA is Eda.
Best known for her nun disguise and skilled gunplay, Eda is a foil of sorts to Revy and has managed to become so popular within BL that she’s even received her own prequel manga. While Revy herself is half-American, Eda is better known for her links to the country.
1 Joseph Joestar – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
While his grandfather Jonathan was the first protagonist of the Joestar family, Joseph is the one who really introduced the Jojo series’ special flair. He’s brash, impulsive, and delightfully cocky in his youth, and grows into a cranky yet light-hearted old man just in time to help his own grandson on his journey.
He’s the second most reappearing protagonist in all of JJBA and still remains a fan favorite despite having seven other protagonists to compete against. JojoPart 3: Stardust Crusaders is the peak of his Americanness, with him constantly swearing in English and struggling with the customs of various foreign countries.